Improvement in potters  lathes



UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

WILLIAM MEEK, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN POTTERS LATHES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 141,157, dated July 22, 1873; application led April 7, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MEEK, of Anderson, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented certain Improvements in Potters Lathes, of which the following is a specification:

My invention relates to the lathe for forming potters ware and it consists in attaching to the lathe-head a case that may be readiot' the mold beingA cut away to show the top.

view of the spring that draws out the sections of the mold at the bottom to separate them from the ware after being molded. Y

A is the table-top, to which all the other parts are attached. B is the lathe-head attached to a hollow vertical driving-shaft, C, on which is fixed a pulley, D, by which the lathe-head B is rotated by means of a band connecting with any suitable power. E E is a case attached to the lathe-head, the inner inclined portion E' being made of various sizes, and provided with aI ange by which it is bolted to the vertical `portion ofthe case E. F is a radially-slotted disk attached to a hollow shaft, W, that runs inside of the driving-shaft C. It is to .this disk that the sections or staves of the mold G are attached by means of shouldered lugs e that project from their lower ends, the lugs bein ginserted in the radial slots in fthe disk from the periphery.

' The upper ends of the sections of the mold are held together by a ring, r, that drops into a rabbet formed in their outer edge, as shown. The different sizes of molds and the inclined portions E of the case, as well, also, as the raisin g-disk H, are, of course, to be adapted to each other, and are all made readily changeable for that purpose. The inclined portion E of the case is for the purpose of holding the sections ofthe mold together when the latter are drawn down by a treadle or any other suitable means applied to the lower end of the hollow shaft O. The same means employed to depress the molds should also be arranged so as to raise them, for the purpose of releasing the ware after it is molded..V The springs I are attached to the lower part of the staves or sections of the mold and to the rim of the slotted disk F for the purpose of separating the sections, by their tension, from the ware when the disk F is raised up out of the case E.

After the disk F is raised, so as to Vallow the sections of the molds to separate at the bottom from the ware, and the ring Sis removed, so as to allow them to separate at the top, the ware resting on the raising-disk H is raised out of the mold by means ot' a strap or cord, K, that is attached by one end to the under side of the table, and runs under the lower end of the rod L to a windlass, M, when it may be readily removed. When the slotted disk F and the raising-disk H are let down into the position indicated in the drawing they are rotated by the case E E', into the latter of which the sections ofmold wedge.

The interior of the ware is molded by means of a tool, N, fixed to a sliding-block, O, on horizontal bar P. The bar P is arranged to move vertically in the upright posts Q.

The tool N is held in the position shown by the spring-catch R until pressed down into the bottom of the ware, and is released and drawn to the side by means of the spring S. The thickness of the ware is regulated by means of a set-screw, a, which is made adjustable, so as to stop the sliding block O, as may be desired.-

The bar P is raised up out of theware by a A weight, T, attached to a cord, d, and is pulled down by the cordsf attached to the treadle V.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of the caseE E attached to the lathe-head B, the slotted disk F, and mold-sections G, and raising-disk H.

2. The molding-tool N attached to the longitudinal sliding block O, and the vertical sliding bar P, all arranged and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM MEEK.

Witnesses:

O. F. MAHEW, J AcoB W. LoEPER. 

